Community Rallies to Fund a New Vision for Autism Care: Autism Optimism Illinois Secures $20,000 in First Two Weeks of Landmark Investment Campaign

In a powerful show of community support for a new model of autism therapy, Autism Optimism Illinois (AO-IL) announced today that it has secured $20,000 in investments since the launch of its SEC-regulated Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) campaign just two weeks ago on February 6, 2026. The campaign, hosted on the FundingHope platform, is rapidly turning the dream of Chicagoland’s first fully integrated, clinician-led therapy center into a tangible reality.

This initial surge of capital brings AO-IL to 40% of its $50,000 minimum funding goal, representing a resounding validation of founder Chip Borkowski’s vision: a clinic built on the principles of clinician ownership, integrated care, and profound community responsibility. The campaign is open to both accredited and non-accredited investors, inviting everyone who believes in a better future for autism care to become a stakeholder-owner.

NOTE: This is NOT a charity or a GoFundMe campaign — it’s a real, SEC-compliant and regulated investment opportunity!

“The response has been nothing short of breathtaking,” said Chip Borkowski, founder of Autism Optimism Illinois, whose personal mission was inspired by his autistic son, Bennett. “Two weeks ago, we launched this campaign with a radical idea: that the community itself should own and build the institutions that serve it. To see that belief reflected in real investments, from people who are not just writing a check but are choosing to partner with us, is incredibly humbling and fuels our excitement to open our doors in May.”

The Moment Matters: 3030 Finley Road Is Secured

The timing of this momentum is critical. AO-IL has already secured a flagship location at 3030 Finley Road in Downers Grove, a 5,100-square-foot, purpose-built space designed for integrated Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapy under one roof.

The company has maximized its financial runway, ensuring that every dollar raised goes directly toward transforming the raw space into a state-of-the-art sanctuary for therapy and clinician well-being.

From Vision to Reality, One Investment at a Time

While the ultimate goal is to raise the full $250,000 required to open a single AO-IL clinic, the campaign is structured to allow for phased progress. Every $50,000 tranche funds a critical piece of the clinic, from essential renovations to therapy equipment and technology.

To illustrate how investments translate directly into clinic build-out and operations, we have outlined the following use-of-funds guide:

Use-of-Funds Guide

• $100 — The Tools of Discovery: Your investment directly funds a collection of essential therapy toys. It underwrites a set of fine motor builders like lacing beads and puzzles, a collection of safari animal figures for functional and pretend play, or a bundle of art supplies like construction paper, paint, and brushes to fuel creativity in the dedicated art room.

• $250 — Building Strength and Coordination: This level of support underwrites the gym with foundational equipment for gross motor development. Think of balance beams for core strength, a set of scooter boards for upper body coordination and teamwork, or a basketball hoop for goal-directed movement and social play. It’s an investment in the equipment that helps bodies learn.

• $500 — The Gift of Regulation: A contribution at this level provides a cornerstone of sensory integration. Your investment underwrites a high-quality sensory swing, offering the proprioceptive input that helps children organize their nervous systems and find calm. It also funds a set of soft play blocks, creating a safe and engaging climbing environment in the gym or circle time area.

• $1,000 — The Technology of Connection: In a modern clinic, data is dignity. Your investment at this level equips our clinicians with professional-grade tools. This provides two RBT tablets with cases and screen protectors (ensuring every direct care professional has a reliable device for seamless data collection), or a dedicated MacBook for a BCBA to write comprehensive treatment plans and analyze client progress.

• $2,500 — The Sanctuary of Care: This level of investment has a profound impact on the physical and emotional environment of the clinic. It underwrites the construction of the dedicated de-escalation room, a safe, padded space for children to regulate their emotions. Alternatively, it completely furnishes a BCBA’s private office with a professional desk, ergonomic chair, locking filing cabinet, and bookshelf—creating a professional home for clinical leadership.

• $5,000 — The Heart of the Clinic: Your investment becomes the central nervous system of our operations. It fully underwrites our tablet ecosystem, including the device locking/charging cart and a significant portion of the tablets themselves—ensuring our technology is organized, secure, and always ready. It also covers the cost of a major amenity, such as the installation of TVs in staff and client kitchens, as well as certain offices and therapy rooms.

• $10,000 — The Foundation for Growth: At this level, you are a foundational partner in creating the clinic’s core infrastructure. Your investment underwrites a significant portion of the gym’s transformation, including the specialized, shock-absorbent, padded flooring installation that makes gross motor activity safe and joyful. It’s an investment in the very ground where breakthroughs happen.

• $25,000+ — The Legacy Builder: As a leadership investor, you are not just funding a room—you are creating a lasting legacy. Your investment directly enables completion of a major project, such as underwriting the entire Phase 1 renovation work (including the de-escalation room, painting, and keyless entry), or serving as the cornerstone investment for a dream item: a custom soft play playground for the gym, providing years of safe, imaginative, and therapeutic play. You will be recognized as a founding partner in this movement.

The Misericordia Covenant: Profits With a Higher Purpose

At the heart of AO-IL’s mission is an unbreakable promise that transcends the walls of the clinic. Embedded in the company’s financial and ethical fabric is the Misericordia Covenant: a binding commitment to donate 10% of the clinic’s net profits to Misericordia Heart of Mercy.

Misericordia is a venerable Chicago institution that supports over 800 children and adults with developmental disabilities, offering a continuum of care that includes residential, educational, and vocational programs. For founder Chip Borkowski, this covenant is deeply personal and non-negotiable. It ensures that as AO-IL grows and thrives, its success directly fuels profound community impact beyond its own client roster.

“This isn’t a marketing ploy; it’s our north star,” said Borkowski. “When our clinicians succeed, when our investors see a return, so does Misericordia. The toys, the swings, the tablets, every tool we’re asking the community to underwrite, are not just instruments of therapy. They are instruments of a larger mission. An investment in AO-IL is an investment in a self-reinforcing cycle of growth and giving that will support the most vulnerable members of our community for years to come.”

A Tour of the Purpose-Built Environment at 3030 Finley Road

This mission-driven model will come to life in a space designed with equal parts heart and intention. Nestled in the heart of accessible DuPage County—minutes from I-88, I-355, and major arteries—the single-floor facility at 3030 Finley Road is a masterclass in intentional design, serving a population of over 900,000.

• The Heart of One-on-One Care: Plentiful, sun-lit private therapy rooms provide quiet, controlled environments for focused ABA, speech, physical, and occupational therapy—each equipped with adaptive furniture and tailored learning materials.

• The Hub of Dynamism and Growth: An expansive, bright gymnasium—the clinic’s crown jewel—is engineered for movement, social interaction, and group learning. This flexible space will be equipped with everything from therapy swings and balance beams to crash pads and a trampoline, all awaiting the final touch of specialized, padded flooring that a $10,000 investment would underwrite.

• Sanctuary for the Experts: AO-IL will feature dedicated private offices for BCBAs and lead therapists, transforming them from overworked employees into empowered professionals with a true home. A welcoming staff breakroom provides an essential space for decompression and collegial connection—a tangible commitment to preventing burnout.

• Operational Excellence and Family Convenience: With four private, fully accessible bathrooms, a dedicated staff entrance, ample reserved parking, and a single-floor layout, every detail has been considered for dignity, accessibility, and seamless operational flow.

The Partners Behind the Vision

This ambitious project has been made possible by a coalition of partners who share AO-IL’s commitment to community and excellence. Borkowski extends his deepest gratitude to:

• Salmon Partners, the owners of 3030 Finley Road, for seeing AO-IL as a partner in creating community value

• Kammes Commercial Real Estate, for indispensable, data-driven advocacy in securing the perfect location

• TrustBank Wheaton and Market President Mark Spehr, for serving as AO-IL’s trusted financial partner, providing strategic counsel and embodying the community-focused values at the core of this venture

The Road Ahead: A Phased Path to Opening

The funds raised will be deployed in a carefully managed, phased approach, ensuring fiscal prudence and operational readiness at every stage.

• Phase 1: With the initial $50,000, we will underwrite essential renovations (de-escalation room, painting), core furniture for therapy rooms and offices, foundational technology, and our initial inventory of therapy toys and supplies.

• Phase 1a: As we reach our $100,000 and $150,000 milestones, this includes custom painting of Suite 300, making critical modifications, and a deep inventory of therapy equipment and toys to serve a growing client census.

• Phase 1b: Reaching our ultimate $250,000 goal allows us to fully underwrite our vision. This final phase includes the specialized padded gym flooring, premium sensory equipment like bubble tubes, a soft play playground, and all the finishing touches that transform a great clinic into an extraordinary one.

“This is a proof-of-concept for the future of autism care,” Borkowski concluded. “We are showing that you can build a clinic that is clinically excellent, ethically grounded, and financially sustainable by inviting the community to own it with you. For the cost of a cup of coffee a day, you can own a piece of a better future for families and clinicians in Chicagoland. This isn’t a donation; it’s an investment in a movement.”

Learn More / Become a Stakeholder-Owner

To learn more about the vision, review the detailed Form C disclosure, and become a stakeholder-owner in Autism Optimism Illinois, visit the official campaign page:https://invest.fundinghope.com/offering/aoil/details

With a ribbon-cutting scheduled for World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, 2026, and doors opening in May, the time to join this movement is now.

About Autism Optimism Illinois (AO-IL)

Autism Optimism Illinois is a clinician-led, community-anchored organization establishing a new standard for integrated autism therapy in Illinois. Its flagship therapy center, opening in Downers Grove in May 2026, will provide coordinated Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapy under one roof. Built on principles of clinician equity, family partnership, and social impact—including a 10% net profit pledge to Misericordia Heart of Mercy—AO-IL aims to eliminate waitlists, reduce clinician burnout, and deliver exceptional, compassionate care. Learn more at www.AutismOptimism-IL.com.

About Misericordia Heart of Mercy

Misericordia Heart of Mercy is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that supports over 800 children and adults with developmental disabilities, offering a continuum of care that includes residential, educational, and vocational programs. Founded in 1921, Misericordia is renowned for its compassionate community model that emphasizes ability, dignity, and inclusion. Learn more at:https://www.misericordia.com

Media Contact

Chip Borkowski — Founderchip@autismoptimism-il.com(630) 254-1718www.autismoptimism-il.com

Investment Portal:https://invest.fundinghope.com/offering/aoil/details

SEC Compliance Disclaimer

Autism Optimism Illinois, Inc. is conducting an offering under Regulation Crowdfunding. The full details of the offering, including risks, are available in the company's Form C offering statement at the link above.

No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted. No offer to buy securities can be accepted, and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering is qualified, and any such offer may be withdrawn or revoked, without obligation or commitment of any kind, at any time before notice of acceptance. A prospective purchaser's indication of interest is non-binding.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. This press release contains forward-looking statements subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially.